J and I adopted a dog yesterday. She was called Kiki, but her new name is Wookie, as she is very reminiscent of Chewbacca.

At our first meeting, she seemed very hesitant and shy. She barked at J a lot, which made us wonder if she had a bad experience with a man in the past. Still, she came over to me and tried to squeeze between me and the wall I was sitting up against. She nuzzled her head into my leg and licked my hand and was so sweet and vulnerable. I know she had my heart in that moment, and I’m pretty sure she had J’s heart, too.

Still, she had to get along with Porky, so we had a “meet and greet” for the two dogs yesterday. Porky seemed out of her element, but still responded well, while Kiki was obsessed with Porky. All signs pointed to this being a good match.

And still, I was very nervous. Adding a member to our family is a huge step, and adding a member that has a mysterious past is a bit of a gamble. Over the past few months, J and I had talked frequently about getting another dog, but were concerned about what that change would mean. You see, we had our routines down pat. We knew what to expect from our household, and it was difficult to comprehend what adding another bundle of fluff would mean for our day-to-day lives.

And yesterday, when we just decided to get Kiki, and just figure it out and make it work one day at a time, I realized that the aphorism works: I can jump and build my parachute on the way down. It is good to take a risk in the name of love and snuggles, and it is possible to get out of my own way and choose the life I want even if I don’t know how it will work. Leaping into a Mystery is a grand statement of faith, is it not?

And I have a sneaking suspicion that life lived in this manner is not only possible, but also a pretty flippin’ sweet life, indeed.